MYSTERY DEATH DIVIDES FAMILY Siblings accuse stepmom of killing son
THE mysterious death of 37-year-old Metsimotlhabe man has caused a deep rift in his family leaving his stepmother out in the cold as she stands accused of his death.
The tension in the blended family reached boiling point during funeral proceedings to a point where the dead man’s two older siblings defiantly held his funeral proceedings at their home in Mmatsetsa and not at their dead father’s home in Metsimotlhabe.
When The Voice visited the visibly shaken 57-year-old stepmother, Mmamontlenyane Lekgowe, the grief-stricken woman could not contain her tears as she narrated her story.
Her stepson, Freddie Lekgowe, had lived with her since he was two years old. He died last Friday under mysterious circumstances.
“I don’t know why they (the other side of the family) would accuse me of this when I literary raised that child. I have pictures of him when they were growing up with my other son. In most pictures, Freddie is holding tight to my skirt,” the distraught stepmother said, her voice breaking.
But what could have happened to Freddie remains a mystery. As The Voice traced his last moments alive, it became apparent that days leading to his death, Freddie had a heated argument with his stepmother.
His stepmother then reported him to Metsimotlhabe main kgotla to be disciplined.
Kgosi Peter Mokgware, who mediated between stepmother and son last Thursday, a day before his untimely death, confirmed this.
“I can confirm that she (stepmother) came to report her son last Wednesday to us. Unfortunately, the meeting could not take place on the day, as the young man was unavailable. The meeting only took place the next day, but mine was just to mediate between the two,” said Mokgware.
Mokgware further told
The
Voice that the stepmother had come to the kgotla not to lay a formal complaint against his son, but rather to seek the help of the elders to reprimand him.
“They left here together. I did my part in reprimanding him because the stepmother had reported him for use of insulting language,” explained the chief, adding that Freddie did not seem unwell.
A day later, Freddie passed on.
After trying to recollect herself, the deceased’s stepmother further said, “My situation is very complicated. The family I married into is accusing me of unimaginable things. They say I have killed people. They say I killed my husband’s ex-wife, my husband and now they say I have killed my stepson.”
“All I know is that his boss came here looking for him as he had been absent from work for a while. He (Freddie) told his boss that he had not been well; apparently, he did not go to work last week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. But he never told me anything about not feeling well nor did I see anything indicating that he was sick,” the stepmother explained
“I did not kill my husband, his ex-wife and nor did I kill their son. The family I married into has forsaken me,” lamented the widowed stepmother.
The Voice also travelled to Mmatseta where Freddie’s funeral proceedings were held before his body was transported to Metsimotlhabe for the actual burial.
Although his siblings refused to comment on the matter, their close family member revealed that last Friday Freddie had called his older sister to come over to Metsimotlhabe because he was not feeling well.
“Unfortunately by the time they arrived, it was too late for Freddie, who was foaming at the mouth. They rushed him to a traditional doctor in Mochudi but he died on the way,” said the source.
Freddie was certified dead when he arrived at the hospital. He was laid to rest last Saturday in Metsimotlhabe.